Clutch device for tool-holders



L. E. EVSLlN- CLUTCH DEVICE FOR TOOL HOLDERS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 5. 1918.

1,355, 59, Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

y; ,nu, I

UNITED STATES LEO E. EVSLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLUTCH DEVICE FOR TOOL-HOLDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application filed November 5, 1918. Serial No. 261,237.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lee E. EvsLIN, a citizen of Russia, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Devices for Tool-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tool holder for dentists, and particularly to a holder such as is driven by an electric, or like, motor.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical means whereby the driving connection between the motor and the tool may be readily severed whenever desired, whereby to enable change of the tools without necessitating stoppage of the motor.

A more particular object is to provide a tool holder having a part for holding the tool and having another part in which a driving member is situated and to provide means whereby one of said parts may be conveniently moved relative to the other so as to destroy the driving connection.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a pre ferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a dentists tool constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View partly in sectionillustrating a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken subtantially upon the plane of line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the parts of Fig. 2 in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the parts in the same position as in Fig. 3,

but illustrating relatively the top side of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5is a transverse sectional view substantially upon the plane of line VV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure illustrated therein, the reference character L indicates a flexible tube which extends from the tool handle to the motor, as will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in this art. WVithin this tube is arranged a flexible drive shaft 1 which extends into what may be here referred to as the stationary part G of the tool handle. A head 2 is fixed to the end of the shaft 1 within the handle part G and this head has a pocket 3 formed therein for the reception of a tongue 4 carried upon a head 5 which, in turn, is connected with a shaft 6 extending outwardly and into connection with the tool 17 in the usual manner. The parts 4, 5, 6 and 7 are supported by what may be here termed the movable part H of the tool handle. The portion of the part H adjacent to the part G is in the form of a shell 7 and the parts L and 5 are arranged therein. This shell is adapted to telescope over a tubular extension 8 of the part G, and the fit issuch that the. parts 7 and 8 may be moved back and forth whenever desired, to connect or disconnect the tongue 4 with the pocket 3. Or the part 7 may be entirely removed from the part 8 as occasion may demand.

A spring latch 9 is carried by the part G, and has a head 10 arranged to engage behind a shoulder 11 formed upon the shell 7 to hold the shell in its fully telescoped position. In this'positionthe shaft 1 is connected with the head 5 for driving the tool.

A slot 12 is provided in the shell adapted to straddle a lug 13 formed upon the tube 8 so as to insure proper alinement of the shoulder 11 with the head 10 when the parts are assembled.

The parts as thus far described are well known, and in order to remove the part H from the part G, it has been necessary heretofore simply to press upon a finger piece, as 15, so as to lift the head 10 whereupon the part H could' be directly withdrawn from over the tube 8.

According to the present invention, however, a shoulder 14 is provided upon the shell 7 spaced rearwardly from the shoulder 11 and in line therewith so as to be engaged by the head 10 to arrest the movement of the part H at a point where the tongue 4 is withdrawn from the pocket 3, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the shaft 1 and head 2 may continue to rotate without rotating the tool. Any change of tools may be made at this time and the part 'H again returned to its original position, as in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the shoulder 14 is raised somewhat above the Surrounding surface of the shell 7. The purpose of this arrangement is to insure engagement thereof by the head 10 as the head 10 is not capable of being raised sufficiently far to clear the top edge of the shoulder 14. i

If it is desired to-entirely remove the part H .from the part G, this may readily be accomplished after the head 10 has been brought intoengagement with the shoulder 14 by rotating the parts G and relative to each other for adistance suflicient to cause the head 10 to clear the upwardly projectingportion of said shoulder 14:. It will be noted that, because of the engagement of the slot .12 with the part 13, this inter-rotation of the parts G and H cannot take place untilafter the parts'have been moved into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, that is, with the head 10 engaging the shoulder 14.

lVith a device thus constructed, an operator desiring to change the tool 17 need not stop his motor, but has simply to press upon the finger piece 15 and slide the part H straight outwardly as far as it will go. After the tool has been changed, the part H is returned and the operation is complete.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of theinvention,'as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying'drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. 7 r

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by.

Letters Patent is 1. A tool holder of the class described, comprising two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby, and the other havin a device to be driven carried thereby, said two parts each comprising a sleeve and said sleevesbeing disposed to slide one within the other for'connecting and disconnecting said devices, and meanscarried by the inner sleeveextending over the outer surface of the outer sleeve havlng a portion engaging the outer surface of the outer sleeve cooperative to limit the sliding movement of said sleeves, said means being of a character whereby to afford a further movement of.

said sleeves in one direction.

2. A tool holder of the class described, comprising two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby and the 'other'having a device to be driven carried thereby, said 7 two partseach'comprising a sleeve and said sleeves being disposed to slide one within the other for connecting and disconnecting said devices, means carried by the inner sleeve extending over the outer surface of the outer sleeve having a portion engaging the outer surface of the outer sleeve 006perative to limit the sliding movement of said sleeves, said means consisting of a latch member carried by the inner sleeve and a plurality of notches formed in the exterior surface of the outer sleeve with which said latch member engages, said notches being.

disposed to be engaged by the latch member to hold the sleeves in position with said driving and driven devices either connected or disconnected, and thelatch member being releasable from one of said notches to permit I further sliding movement of said sleeves.

3. A tool holder of the class described, comprismg two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby and the other having latch member engages, said notches being disposed to be engaged by the latch member to hold the sleeves in position with said driving and driven devices either connected or disconnected, means to guide said sleeves inv a straight line during said sliding movement, and means whereby a subsequent ro-.

tary movement of said sleeves relative to each other will permit a further sliding V movement of said sleeves'in a straight line. ,4. A tool holder of the class described,- comprising two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby and the other havin a device to be driven carried thereby, sai two parts each comprising a sleeve and said sleeves being disposed to slide one within the other for connecting and disconnecting said devices, means carried by the inner sleeve extending over the outer surface of the outer sleeve having a portion engaging the outer surface of the outer sleeve cooperative to limit the sliding movement of said sleeves, said means consisting of a latch member car ried by the inner sleeve and a plurality of notches formed in the exterior surface of the,

outer sleeve with which said latch member engages, said notches belng dlsposed to be engaged by the latch member to hold the sleeves 1n positionrwith said driving and driven devices either connected or disconnected, means to guide said sleeves in a straight line during such sliding movement as is required to disengage said driving and driven devices, and the engagement of the latch member with one of said notches being of a character to obstruct further disengaging movement of said sleeves in a straight line.

5. A tool holder of the class described, comprising two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby and the other having a device to be driven carried thereby, said parts being arranged to telescope one within the other and being slidable longitudinally of each other to connect and disconnect said driving and driven devices, and means carried by the inner part extending over the outer surface of the outer part having a portion engaging the outer surface of the outer part in a manner to restrict the relative sliding movement of said parts and to thereby obstruct disengagement of said parts from each other while yet permitting engagement and disengagement of said drive and driven devices.

6. A tool holder of the class described, comprising two parts, one having a driving device carried thereby and the other having a device to be driven carried thereby, said parts being arranged to telescope one within the other and being slidable longitudinally of each other to connect and disconnect said driving and driven devices, a spring finger carried by the inner part extending longitudinally along the outer surface ofthe outer part and having a hook shaped head at its end, and a plurality of notches formed in the outer surface of the outer member to be engaged by said head in a manner to restrict the relative sliding movement of said parts and to thereby obstruct disengagement of said parts from each other while yet permitting engagement and disengagement of said drive and driven devices, the outer part having an open ended slot formed therein extending in a straight line longitudinally thereof, a portion of the inner part engaging within said slot to insure engagement of said head within one of said notches to limit the disengaging movementof said parts, and said portion of the inner part which engages said slot being disposed to disengage from said slot when said parts have been separated to cause said head to engage said last mentioned notch, thus permitting inter-rotation of said parts to disengage said head from said notch for enabling further separating movement of said parts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LEO E. EVSLIN. Witnesses:

L. GEssroRn HANDY, S. J AUMILLER. 

